


An unnecessary document

by spockside



Series: Phone tag [5]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Engagement, F/M, Friendship, Marriage customs, Pre-nuptial agreement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-19
Updated: 2012-04-19
Packaged: 2017-11-03 22:57:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/386915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spockside/pseuds/spockside
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony's confidence in Pepper's ability to plan a wedding was absolute, and in this he was not wrong. But there was still the issue of a pre-nup looming over their happiness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An unnecessary document

Tony had never been married. Not even in Vegas. He was too leery of getting roped into something he thought was a gag but that turned out to be legally binding.

He knew Pepper had never been married, either, mainly because he went back through the security archives to find her original background check. (It was nearly identical to the current one, which he saw had been updated by Coulson last year.)

However, his confidence in Pepper's ability to plan a wedding was absolute, and in this he was not wrong.

"Ms. Virginia Potts, CEO of Stark Industries, will be married to Mr. Anthony Stark, President of Stark Industries. Ms. Potts is the daughter of Arthur and Victoria Potts of Stilwell, Kansas. Mr. Stark is the son of the late Howard and Maria Stark (nee Carbonelli) of New York City. A September wedding is planned."

Pepper had only placed the announcement in three newspapers (the Los Angeles _Times_ , the New York _Times_ , and the Kansas City _Star_ ), but of course it hit every other news outlet, blog, gossip site, and magazine within minutes. She'd anticipated this, of course, and in a stroke of brilliance had had her assistant forward all phone calls regarding the engagement to JARVIS at the mansion in Malibu.

"Nobody can shoot 'em down like JARVIS," Tony laughed. She had called him in New York to describe the scenario. "I can just hear it. 'I really could not say, sir.' 'Mr. Stark is currently incommunicado.' 'Ms. Potts is indisposed at this time, madam.' And he can keep it up 24/7."

One day he was sitting in the rec room, having just finished up some sparring with Barton and chugging some sports drink, when the archer asked him when and where the wedding was going to be.

"Pepper's in charge of all that. I'm just gonna show up."

"Ah, that is unworthy of you, Tony," said Thor, who had joined them. "I know that in Midgard, as in Asgard,  the bride is assumed to be queen of the event, but among my people the groom is responsible for some of the preparations as well."

"Like what?" asked Steve.

"Making the arrangements with her family," Thor replied promptly. "Agreeing on a dowry, bringing gifts to her parents, forging rings..."

He looked around at the other men, who seemed a bit taken aback.

"Have you no such traditions in this realm?"

"Well," said Clint dubiously. "I don't know about the dowry thing, but it's smart to get on the parents' good side, for sure."

"And we definitely exchange rings," Steve put in.

"Actually, I think the parallel to a dowry negotiation would be what we call a pre-nuptial agreement," said Tony thoughtfully. "But that's mainly insurance, so that if things don't work out, the parties don't take away more than their share."

"Don't work out?" Thor looked puzzled. "Share of what?"

"Money, property, custody of the kids," Tony said vaguely.

Thor shook his head. "This is a strange concept. When my people wed, it is for life. Even if one is unfaithful - or both! - or deserts the other, still the marriage holds, until they can part ways amicably, come together again, or at least agree to disagree. We need no writing for this, we have our honor to swear by."

Tony envied his friend such confidence. He'd grown jaded after years of deals and favors and selfish ambition - his own, that is - and found himself appreciating the men around him now, for their ideals, however high-flown.

Then Thor said, "But you will not need this document, so the point is moot."

"Wait, what?" said Clint.

"Tony and Pepper," said the god of thunder. "Their union is destiny. In Midgard vernacular, they were made for each other. Therefore, any kind of 'insurance' is unnecessary. Am I right, Tony?"

Tony's smile was slow and heartfelt.

"Absolutely right, big guy."


End file.
